“The Reader”, by Bernhard Schlink: Guilt and Shame Essay Sample

. ( 92 ) This shame prevented Michael’s male parent from of all time making a true bond with his kids.

Michael’s male parent was “…undemonstrative. and could neither portion his feelings with us kids. non could he cover with the feeling we had for him” . ( 139 ) Even though he was a doctrine professor who dealt with moral issues on a day-to-day footing.

Michael’s father. like many parents at the clip. did non experience like he had any moral authorization over his kids. This left Michael. even after his father’s decease. with the feeling that he was non decently taken attention of by his male parent.

At one point in the narrative. Michael was at the pool with his friends. when he saw Hanna looking at him from a distance. He was non certain if she wanted to be seen with him. or if he wanted to be seen with her for that affair.

so he did nil. The twenty-four hours after this event. Hanna disappeared “Even worse than my physical desire. was my sense of guilt. Why hadn’t I jumped up instantly when she stood there and run to her! ” ( 83 ) Michael subsequently said. For old ages after Hanna’s disappearing.

Michael blamed himself for Hanna go forthing. He besides struggled with his relationships because he tried really hard non to acquire emotionally involved. out of fright of being hurt. or even worse.

aching the other individual.Michael got married and had a girl. yet he was non able to keep on to this matrimony really long because of his ain guilt. He could non halt “comparing the manner it was

with Gertrud. and the manner it had been with Hanna” . ( 173 ) He felt so guilty that he chose to stop his relationship with his married woman.

instead than seeking to work things out or at least explain things to his married woman. He divorced his married woman when his girl was five old ages old. It subsequently tormented Michael that he deprived his girl from the heat and safety that she needed. He felt that he cheated his girl of her rights by acquiring divorced. His feelings of guilt ruined his matrimony.During Hanna’s test many of the atrociousnesss that occurred in Auschwitz surfaced.

Michael knew that Hanna could non hold written the study. yet he did non state the justice. He felt guilty and was besides ashamed “of holding loved a criminal” . ( 134 ) The guilt ever haunted him on the interior. but the shame was the 1 that did non allow Michael state the justice. He could hold saved Hanna from a long prison sentence.

but chose non to move. He did non desire the justice to see him seeking to assist person who had been involved in any manner with the concentration cantonments. He was even more ashamed of acknowledging to the justice that he one time had a relationship with Hanna. Because he didn’t act.

Hanna was sentenced to life in prison. After she committed self-destruction. Michael frequently blamed himself for Hanna’s decease.Possibly the most tragic illustration in the book is Hanna’s shame of being nonreader. Michael ever asked himself the inquiry: “If Hanna’s motivation was fright of exposure.

why opt for the atrocious exposure as a

felon over the harmless exposure as an illiterate” ? ( 133 ) During the test Hanna was accused of composing a study saying that she. among other guards in the cantonments. deliberately kept the doors of a combustion church locked. while there were captives indoors.

Hanna foremost denied it. but the justice wanted to convey and expert to compare her script to the 1 on the study. She so admitted to composing this study out of shame for her illiteracy. If she had admitted to being nonreader. she would hold gotten a much lighter sentence. yet she chose non to because of shame.

Hanna was sentenced to life in prison. Many old ages after the test. the tribunals accepted her entreaty and she was ordered to be released. but she hung herself the dark before her release.

Through “The Reader” . the writer efforts to demo the reader the harm that guilt and shame can do in one’s life. Michael’s father’s guilt cicatrixs him for life and leaves him experiencing like he was ne'er cared for by his male parent. Michael’s feelings of guilt for non admiting Hanna at the pool caused him to fight with future relationships. His feelings of guilt for comparing his married woman to Hanna lead to his divorce and made him experience even guiltier for doing his girl experience that.

His shame of holding been in love with Hanna prevented him from salvaging Hanna and left him experiencing guilty of her decease. Finally. Hanna’s shame of being illiterate sent her to prison and finally leads to her decease.